GB2210101A

GB2210101A - Plastics binding strap

Info

Publication number: GB2210101A
Application number: GB8821468A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Willibald Kraus
Original assignee: TRW United Carr GmbH and Co
Current assignee: TRW United Carr GmbH and Co
Priority date: 1987-09-17
Filing date: 1988-09-13
Publication date: 1989-06-01
Also published as: FR2620778A1; ES2010365A6; DE8712545U1; GB8821468D0; NL8802250A; SE8803260L; SE8803260D0

Abstract

A plastics binding strap has a band 6 of ladder-like construction with a head 1 at one end. The head has a through- opening 8 which is provided with a rigid retaining nose 2'' locatable in any one of the apertures defined between the rungs 5 of the ladder-like construction of the band 6 and guide means comprising a resiliently deflectable tongue 7 disposed between two fixed rigid tracks 3 (and 3' not shown). The guide means function to guide the band during insertion through the through-opening and to deflect the band to locate a rung 5 thereof in the groove 11 of the retaining nose after insertion has been completed. <IMAGE>

Description

PLASTICS BINDING STRAP The invention relates to a plastics binding strap which may be used for wrapping round, securing and bundling objects.

US Patent Specification No. 4,001,898 discloses such a strap having a profiled strap part and d head part which adjoins the latter and, within a throughopening, has rigid retaining means which cooperates with the profile of the strap part and, opposite said retaining means a guiding means for the strap part.

The retaining means is a rigid element, and the guiding means comprises a channel provided on the other side thereto in the through-opening. An elastic thickened portion is provided within this channel, said thickened portion being pressed into the channel during fitting and, once fitting has been completed, assuming a locking function. This results in expensive construction by reason of the special configuration of the guide-through channel with the rigid retention nose and the locking element.

Also known from DE-OS-2328955 is a binder having a guide channel which passes through a head part, this guide channel comprising two mutually opposite side channels. In the locking position, an elastically designed retention nose is pressed against a rear wall of one side channel by the action of the strap part, thereby producing the locking position. This known structure is expensive in terms of construction and requires the retention nose to rest against the wall of one of the side channels in order to hold the strap part, with the result that a constant tension effect must be present in order to guarantee the correct locking position.

Further known from US Patent Specification No.

3,590,442 is a strap element which is designed in such a manner that a completely elastic retention nose is arranged within a head part, said elastic retention nose in the locking position pressing against a wall of the through-opening. In this construction too, the elastic retention nose is subjected to continuous stressing, resulting in a shortening of the service life.

Also known from US Patent Specification No.

3,488,813 is a strap element, having a retention nose of metal arranged inside the head part, the forward region of said retention nose hooking into the strap part on completion of fitting. In the region opposite, there is a guide channel which has an arched and an adjoining conical shape, the strap part being pressed against these regions in the locking position.

This strap element is also expensive in terms of construction.

An object of this invention is to provide a strap which is rapidly fastenable and less susceptible to failure through stress than the straps acknowledged above.

The present invention provides a binding strap having a band provided with a plurality of apertures spaced apart therealong and a head at one end, said head having a through-opening through which the other end of the band is insertable, the through-opening being provided with a rigid retaining means locatable in a said aperture and a guide means for guiding the band portion behind the retaining means during such insertion, said retaining and guide means extending towards each other from opposed sides of the throughopening and said guide means comprising resiliently deflectable tongue means arranged for engaging the two side edge portions of the band during insertion of the band through the through-opening and respective rigid track means for engaging each said side edge portion during such insertion.

Preferably the rigid retaining means comprises a retaining projection having a rigid base portion adjacent the side of the through-opening from which is extends for retaining the band and a free end portion directed towards guide means for urging the band theretowards during insertion.

The band of the strap may have a ladder-like configuration, comprising two spaced-apart longitudinally extending side members interconnected by a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart crosspieces, the rigid base portion of the retaining projection having a groove opening in the direction in which the band portion is inserted through said through-opening for accommodating a said cross-piece.

Also preferably the guide means comprises a resiliently deflectable tongue connected to and disposed between two rigid tracks. Preferably, in this case, the width of the tongue is greater than the spacing apart of said side members and less than the width of the band.

Advantageously the free end portion of the retaining projection projects towards the resiliently deflectable tongue and preferably at least as far as the free end of the resiliently deflectable tongue when viewed in the insertion direction of the throughopening.

The invention also includes a strap, for wrapping round, securing and bundling objects, having a profiled strap part and head part which adjoins the latter and, within a through-opening, has a rigid retention nose which cooperates with the profile of the strap part, and, opposite said retention nose, at least one guide for the strap part, wherein the guide is designed as a guide part lying opposite the rigid retention nose in the direction of introduction of the strap part and comprising at least one resilient tongue and individual tracks connected to the latter.

By virtue of the specific configuration of the guide part with a resilient tongue and individual tracks, the strap part receives functionally reliable guidance during fitting; after completion of fitting, the strap part is locked in the rigid region of the retention nose, so that the guide no longer has to carry out any function. It is thus possible rapidly and simply to introduce the strap part into the through-opening and secure it by means of the rigid retention nose, even without specialist knowledge, neither the retention nose nor the guide part experiencing disadvantageous loading, even in the case of varying stresses.

In an embodiment of the invention the retention nose comprises a rigid bevelled forward region and a rigid rearward region, the rigid rearward region serving to secure the strap part, with the result that a long service life is thus guaranteed. The rigid bevelled forward region serves exclusively to provide the guiding function with respect to the guide track during the fitting of the strap part in the through opening.

Also, in this embodiment, the guide part comprises two individual tracks which are rigidly connected to the resilient tongue. In thins arrangement, the retention nose projects with its rigid bevelled forward region towards the opposite resilient tongue.

In accordance with another feature of this embodiment, the rigid bevelled forward region of the retention nose projects as far as the resilient tongue of the guide part, as viewed in the direction of the through-opening.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the strap element has a ladder-like strap part and the rigid region of the retention nose, which region cooperates with the strap part, is matched to the shape of a rung of the strap part. In this arrangement, the width of the resilient tongue corresponds approximately to the spacing of the longitudinal webs of the strap part, which webs connect the rungs.

In order that the invention may be well understood, the above-mentioned embodiment, which is given by way of example only, will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a section taken along the line I-I in Fig. 2 of a fragmentary portion of a binding strap; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the binding strap; Fig. 3 illustrates in a fragmentary section -insertion of the band of the strap into the head thereof; and Fig. 4 illustrates in a fragmentary section, the strap in a fastened condition.

The binding strap illustrated, which is formed of plastics material and is suitable for wrapping round, securing and bundling objects, comprises a head part 1 and a band, or strap, part 6 adjoining the latter.

The band is provided with a plurality of apertures spaced apart therealong. More specifically it has a ladder-like configuration with apertures 4, rungs, or cross-pieces, 5 and longitudinal side-members, or webs, 9 and 10 which, as shown in Fig. 2, link the rungs.

The head part 1 has a through-opening 8. In the direction A of introduction of the band 6, there is first of all in the through-opening 8 a retention projection, or nose, 2 which comprises a rigid bevelled forward region 2 and a rigid rearward region 2''. In this arrangement, the rigid rearward region 2'' has a groove 11 opening in the direction A adapted by being rounded to the shape of the rungs 5 for accommodating a rung as illustrated in Fig. 4.

With its rigid bevelled forward region 2', the retention nose 2 projects in the direction of guide means 3 situated opposite in the through-opening '8.

This guide means 3 comprises a resiliently deformable tongue 7 in accordance with Fig. 1. From Fig. 2 it can be seen that the guide part 3 furthermore comprises two individual tracks 3' and 3'' which are connected to the guide tongue 7, one on each side thereof. Looking at the through-opening 8 from above, the rigid bevelled forward region 2' of the retention nose 2 according to Fig. 2 projects as far as the resilient tongue 7.

In this arrangement, the width of the resilient tongue 7 is chosen so that the distance ' approximately corresponds to the distance x according to Fig. 2 between the central regions of the two longitudinal webs 9 and 10, thereby producing a resilient guiding function on these webs.

For the purpose of fitting, the band 6 is in accordance with Fig. 3 pushed into the through-opening 8 in the direction A, the rigid bevelled forward region 2' of the retention nose 2 pressing the band 6 against the resilient tongue 7 and the two rigidly connected individual tracks 3' and 3'' with the result that the longitudinal webs 9 and 10 receive satisfactory guidance on the resilient tongue 7 and the two individual tracks 3' and 3''. In addition, the rigidly connected individual tracks 3' and 3'' prevent the band 6 from being pushed in in twisted fashion; thus if the band 6 were to be twisted by 900, it must not and cannot be guided past the individual tracks 3' and 3''. In addition, the individual tracks contribute to better blind fitting of the band 6.

This operation continues until the objects to be bundled are sufficiently wrapped round and a corresponding rung is situated and engaged behind the rigid bevelled forward region 2' of the retention nose 2.

After this, a rung 5 of the band 6 is slid into the rounding 11 of the rigid rear region 2'' of the retention nose 2, also under the effect of the resilient tongue 7, resulting in a situation in accordance with Fig. 4. Here, the above-mentioned rung 5 lies in and against the rounding 11 of the rigid region 2'' of the retention nose 2 - fitting is therewith completed.

For disassembly, the ladder-like band 6 can, if necessary be unhooked from the rigid region 2'' or, rounding 11 of the retention nose 2 and is moved out of the head part 1, in a direction opposite to the direction A of introduction, past the rigid bevelled forward region 2'' of the retention nose 2, over the resilient tongue 7 and the two rigidly connected individual tracks 3' and 3".

The overall arrangement is of simple construction, the band 6 receiving satisfactory guidance during fitting so that no specialist knowledge of any kind is necessary for this purpose.

Furthermore, in the locking position the band 6 is satisfactorily locked in the rigid rearward region 2'' of the retention nose 2 and hence is capable of securing the strapped objects in a functionally reliable manner even in the event of varying loads.

The strapped objects can for example be cables in the case of a motor vehicle or pipe bundles. At the same time it is important, precisely in the motor vehicle engineering sector, to guarantee rapid and simple fitting and, on the other hand, nevertheless to ensure secure retention of the objects to be wrapped round and tied. In this arrangement, the resilient tongue 7 of the strap serves the purpose of deflecting and pressing so that the rungs 5 of the ladder-like band 6 are always guided into the rounding 11 of the retention nose 2. In this arrangement, the width of the retention nose 2 is such that it engages in an aperture 4 in the band 6 and thus ensures satisfactory locking. During the fitting operation in accordance with Fig. 3, the rigid bevelled forward region 2' of the retention nose 2 can act as a counterbearing to the resilient tongue 7, the band 6 thereby receiving satisfactory guidance during fitting.

Overall, the result of this is a binding strap of simple construction requiring no particular manual dexterity for fitting.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A binding strap having a band provided with a plurality of apertures spaced apart therealong and a head at one end, said head having a through-opening through which the other end of the band is insertable, the through-opening being provided with a rigid retaining means locatable in a said aperture and a guide means for guiding the band portion behind the retaining means during such insertion, said retaining and guide means extending towards each other from opposed sides of the through-opening and said guide means comprising resiliently deflectable tongue means arranged for engaging the two side edge portions of the band during insertion of the band through the through-opening and respective rigid track means for engaging each said side edge portion during such insertion.

2. A strap as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rigid retaining means comprises a retaining projection having a rigid base portion adjacent the side of the through-opening from which it extends for retaining the band and a free end portion directed towards guide means for urging the band theretowards during insertion.

3. A strap as claimed in claim 2, wherein the band has a ladder-like configuration, comprising two spaced-apart longitudinally extending side members interconnected by a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart cross-pieces, the rigid base portion of the retaining projection having a groove opening in the direction in which the band portion is insert'ed through said through-opening for accommodating a said cross-piece.

4. A strap as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the guide means comprises a resiliently deflectable tongue connected to and disposed between two rigid tracks.

5. A strap as claimed in claim 4 when appended to claim 3, wherein the width of the tongue is greater than the spacing apart of said side members and less than the width of the band.

6. A strap as claimed in claim 5 or claim 4 when appended to either claim 2 or 3, wherein the free end portion of the retaining projection projects towards the resiliently deflectable tongue.

7. A strap as claimed in claim 6, wherein the free end portion of the retaining projection projects at least as far as the free end of the resiliently deflectable tongue when viewed in the insertion direction of the through-opening.

8. A plastics strap, for wrapping round, securing and bundling objects, having a profiled strap part and head part which adjoins the latter and, within a through-opening, has a rigid retention nose which cooperates with the profile of the strap part, and, opposite said retention nose, at least one guide for the strap part, wherein the guide is designed as a guide part lying opposite the rigid retention nose in the direction of introduction of the strap part and comprising at least one resilient tongue and individual tracks connected to the latter.

9. A strap according to claim 8, wherein the retention nose comprises a rigid bevelled forward region and a solid, rigid rearward region.

10. A strap according to claim 8, wherein the guide part comprises two individual tracks and is rigidly connected to the resilient tongue.

11. A strap according to claims 9 and 10, wherein the retention nose projects with its rigid bevelled forward region towards the opposite resilient tongue.

12. A strap according to claim 11, wherein, as viewed i-n the direction of the through-opening, the rigid bevelled forward region of the retention nose projects as far as the resilient tongue of the guide part.

13. A strap according to any one of claims 8 to 12, having a ladder-like strap part, the rigid region of the retention nose, which region cooperates with the strap part, being matched to the shape of a rung of the strap part.

14. A strap according to any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the width of the resilient tongue corresponds approximately to the spacing of the longitudinal webs of the strap part, which webs connect the rungs.

15. A binding strap substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.